China drops its requirement for a negative Covid-19 test result for international visitors beginning Wednesday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wenbin Wang announced the update at a Monday briefing in Beijing, marking the milestone of ending the virus restrictions imposed since early 2020.
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China was one of the countries which implemented the longest and harshest restriction globally, it has slowed the world’s second-largest economy, causing a decrease in unemployment.
In January, China had strict quarantine requirements for its citizens travelling abroad and expanded the number of countries its citizens can travel to.
It started the “zero covid policy” in December after years of restrictions, with visitors travelling to China were required to isolate for weeks at a hotel designated by the government.
These restrictions sparked controversies and protests in major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Nanjing.
Most countries have lifted their pandemic-ear travelling restriction. The US removed its requirements in June 2022.
In Australia, individuals travelling to Australia from China, including Hong Kong and Macau, were no longer required to show evidence of a negative pre-departure test for Covid-10 from March 11 this year.
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